Devices for playing table football



Nov. 13, 1934. A. T. c. IRISALL ET AL 1,980,274

DEVICES FOR PLAYING TABLE FOOTBALL Filed Dec. 7, 1932 IN VENMQS /7. TC, five/71,1, F E fi NDQE Ms, 614566 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 Augustus Thomas Cave Insall, East Finchlcy, London, and Frederic Eversden Andrews, East Twickenham, England Application December '7, 1932, Serial No. 646,198 In Great Britain January 4, 1932 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-'-94) 'This invention relates to devices for playing inthe field or play or with other depressions, or door games like table football wherein a ball is the equivalent, to facilitate plucking the mempropelled and moved about towards objectives bers 6. by the manipulation of devices by the player or Still referring to the example illustrated, across 5 players. For convenience, the following descripsubstantially the whole width of thebase board ("/3 tion is confined to the use of the improved de- 1, including the side margins, are stretched vices for playing table football, but it will be aplengths of elastic rubber, helical springs or other preciated that the invention is equally applicable similar elongated members B'mounted in such a to analagous table games as for example table way that they are resiliently yieldable when tennis, tabl golf, table hockey and so forth. flicked or plucked. The method of mounting or The object of the invention is to provide applianchoring the ends is immaterial to the ances of a non-complicated character, easy to invention; for example, they may be knotted operate for directing and projecting a ball over and fixed over notched edges on the exterior of a p y area, and Which, moreover, W l invok the margins of the base. Or, as in the manner the skill and dexterity of the players in gaining illustrated, the ends may be'threaded through their objectives, frustrating their opponent, and holes in the margins, thenturned under, and segenerally simulating the characteristics of the cured by a thread, cord or wire,ipa d d r-and a game to Which the invention is applied in over through holes to form fastening stitches. miniature form. In a further method they may be clipped to the The essential feature of the invention is the board, The members Billustrated by wayof exp m nt f a pl i y of sili n y y ld bl ample are strands of elastic'ruboer enclosed at elongated members (e. g. strips of elastic rubber, their ds by reinforcing and protective rubber h l l p prineily t d r 0 the tubes 7. It will be observed that the protected like) p d p preferably in Parallel ends '7 span 'acrossthe aforesaid slots 5, the slot pflsitioh, eXtehdihg Over the fi d of p y, and on each side in the form illustrated'being comlying thereon ht y thereahOVey this mon to all members 6. This renders it easy to arrangement a ball on the field of play may b flick or pluck the ends of the membersfi by the propelled in Various directions y flicking finger or with asuitable stick or other plectrum plucking one or more of the said members. Great d ic skill is required to Slect q y the app p The elastic strands or the like 6 pass under the 515 member to flick, to anticipate the one nets 2 and lie on the field'of play, or they may be Wards Which the b is travelling, and t0 flick spaced therefrom at any suitable height. Whilst th s O W requisite Strength in the right the strands 6 are illustrated as lying transversely direct o across the base and in parallel relation it is to All embodiment Of the invention Will be (16- be understggd'thatithey may be dispose-dab any 3 scribed in greater d l by way of example with other suitable position in relation to the field of the aid o the a fi p y drawing, Whereihi play or to one another. For example, a pair of Figure 1 Shows a p View Of an apparatus lengthwise bands or equivalents 9 are shown as incorporating the invention, and used for table lying along each side of the field 1 m 40 football; one end has been omitted for con- 1-, W111 now be readily appreciated by t fore- 95 venience, but it is in all respects similar to the going that a n resting on the flat surfa e of end show and any part of the field of play is always between Figure 2 is a sectional elevatiim taken on the two lengths of elastic rubber, springs or the like line 11-11 0f F u and that it can be moved backwards or forwards Ref to the drawing a fiat board 1 is (or in any direction as will be described) by mere- Vided On which pp marking representative 1y flicking the piece of elastic rubber, spring or of a f otba l fi The actual field of play is the like which is stretched immediately behind enclosed by a net Whilst gflals 3 are erected at it. This is done from the margins provided for each end, the net being attached to the uprights the purpose, one 1 or t gpemting one of the goals and supported around corner posts margin (which propels the n towards the 105 4. The goals and the netting are preferably reponents goal) and the Opposing pmyer 0r team movable to facilitate packing. operating the other margin (which propels the There i a margin of the flat board 1 on each ball in the opposite direction). Players on either side of h fi l f pl an h m r in m y be side can operate the strands which extend over formed with a slot 5 extending the full length of the margins on their respective sides. 13

In constructing the members 6 it will be realized that many elastic materials wouldbe' suitable for the purpose set forth, like rubber strips or strands, coiled springs, piano wires, celluloid or whalebone strips, or any combination thereof. Further, the term resiliently yieldable elongated members used herein covers the foregoing or rigid rods of woods, metal or the like, mounted resiliently at their ends or otherwise. Referring to the drawing, by Way of explanation and as one example, the strips 6 extending across the field of play may be regarded as rods of inherently non-yielding material, whilst the tubular protective ends hereinbefore referred tomay be regarded as coil springs or other elastic connections between the rods and the margins of the base.

The elastic rubber, springs .or the like '6 may be stretched to any tension and apart from being disposed from side to side of the board, may be disposed in any other direction so that the ball may be shot in any desired direction on the board; thus centring as by .the longitudinal strips 9, and shooting at goal from angles may be obtained.

The elastic orthe like may be any thickness or length and may be in the form of rubber bands or a single length of elastic or the like. They may be placed at any distance apart on the board according to the size of the ball used in the game.

To introduce a variation into the form illustrated, any of the resilient members 6 may be stopped at one side of the field of play so as only to be operable from the other side. Further, any of the said members 6 may be stopped and fixed by one end actually in the field of play.

In a very simple form of carrying out the invention, the resiliently yieldable elongated members 6 are mounted between rigid side margins or edges or short pairs thereof not otherwise con-.

nected with one another, so that a table or other surface, preferably suitably covered (as by a baize cloth or the like) may be utilized as the field of play. In this case, the said margins would be provided with means for securing to the table or the like. The goals 3 and net 2 would be adapted for attachment to or support on the table in any convenient way.

It is preferred to construct the goals 3 with movable figures 10 representing goalkeepers. In the form illustrated these figures 10 are carried on horizontal bases 11 slidable transversely in the goal framework, and having an operating knob, handle or equivalent 12. Suitable means may be furnished in the interior of the goals to trap a ball which enters, and thus to prevent bouncing out by rebound. For instance, a pair of taut wires 13 extending from side to side just off the goal floor would serve this purpose. The goalkeeper base 11 is preferably formed with inclined edges 14 to facilitate ejecting a trapped ball.

It will be observed from Figure 2 that the net 2 has a supporting string lfispaced above the playing area at a distance less than the diameter of the ball 8. This provides that some shots may force the ball under the net 2, whilst others will project it over the top, and advantage is taken of these results to provide rules based on corners in the real game of association football.

We claim:--

1. A game device comprising a board to support a game piece and means for propelling the game piece comprising a plurality of elongated spaced apart members anchored at their ends to the board and extending over the top of the board, said members being elastic and tensioned for lateral flexure and subsequent release to strike and propel the game piece, the distance between adjacent members being greater than the width of the game piece, said members being disposedclosely adjacent to the top surface of the board and 1,5 the board being slottedadjacent to the anchored ends of the members to accommodate amember flexing implement, the area above the members being entirely unobstructed so that the game piece is free to move across the various members and also longitudinally relative thereto substantially from side to side of'the board.

'2. A game device comprising a board to sup port a game piece, and means for propelling the game piece comprising a plurality of elongated spaced apart members anchored at their ends to the board and extendingover the topof the board,

said members being elasticand tensioned for lateral fiexure and subsequent release to strike and propel the game piece, the distance between adjacent members being greater than the width=of the game piece, said members being disposed closely adjacent to the top surface of the board and the board being slotted adjacent to the anchoredends of the members to accommodate a member flexing implement, the area above the members being entirely unobstructed so that the game piece is free to move across the various members and also longitudinally relative thereto substantially from side to side of the board, and 3132.5 implement engageable protective reinforcing elements encasing themembers at their ends.

AUGUSTUS T. C. INSALL. FREDERICE. ANDREWS. 

